Basketball Africa League Teams: This is Africa’s premier basketball league which was supposed to be started in March 2020, but was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic
The sport of basketball has set the roof blazing in United States of America and Europe, majorly it is only the countries from these two places which have significantly contributed to the sport. But to enhance and grow the sport in Africa, the NBA and FIBA have begun a joint venture via the name of Basketball Africa League.
Unlike the NBA, the Basketball Africa League is not a several-months affair, but only a 14-day contest wherein the 12 teams who have been scheduled into the 3 groups will battle out in a league then knockout format in a 14-day competition. Still confused? Let us discuss all about the Basketball Africa League in detail-
What is the Basketball Africa League?
This league has replaced the FIBA’s Africa Basketball League as the continent’s top-tier league. On March 29, 2021, it was announced that the inaugural season would start on May 16, 2021, and would end on May 30.
BAL 2021 Qualification
Just like the UEFA Champions League, the African premier basketball league also has qualifying rounds to determine which 12 teams make it into each season. African countries will each be given the opportunity to send one representing club, usually the national champion.
As per the certified rules, in the BAL Qualifying Tournament, the teams play each other in groups for six remaining spots in the BAL regular season. Whereas 6 teams from 6 countries qualify directly for the regular season to make a total of 12 teams.
BAL 2021 Format
The 12 teams are first divided into 3 groups of 4 teams each. After which all teams play every other team within their scheduled group to determine the best 2 teams from each group. After we have got out Super 6, then teams will contest in a Round-Robin format to determine the Final 4.
Not like the NBA, there will not be a 7-game series among the final 4, but a single-game knockout contest to determine the ultimate winner of Basketball Africa League.
BAL 2021 Rules
Talking about the playing rules, those are the same followed in the NBA. While each team participating in the BAL regular season is restricted to having only 4 foreign players only This is done to ensure that there are a minimum of 8 local players on each team’s roster.
Basketball Africa League Teams
Group A: US Monastir (Tunisia), Rivers Hooper (Nigeria), Patriots (Rwanda), GNBC (Madagascar)
Group B: Petro de Luanda (Angola) , AS Sale (Morocco), AS Police (Mali), FAP (Cameroon)
Group C: Zamalek (Egypt), AS Douanes (Senegal), GS Petroliers (Algeria), Ferroviario de Maputo (Mozanbique)
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